Matteo has no interest in dating. He’s consumed by work, his son…and his son’s nanny. She’s everything he’s not: young, carefree, trusting, maybe a little naïve. She deserves better than an embittered widower. Yet when she accidentally falls into his arms, he can’t resist drawing her in for a kiss that quickly spirals out of control.

As they travel to his family’s home in Italy and slowly fall in love, the whispers start. And when one particularly ugly story blows up in their faces, their reputations might escape unscathed, but their hearts may not…

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Excerpt

Finally. She had him back in her arms, his hands all over her body, his mouth fused with hers. Paige had dreamed of this moment for months, hoping like crazy they would both forget their stupid, unspoken vow to leave each other alone and finally do something about this painful attraction they shared.

Matteo tasted, felt, sounded like sin. The low moan reverberated from deep in his throat when she circled his tongue with hers. His heady, spicy scent filled her senses, his hard, unyielding body felt like heaven beneath her coasting, searching fingers. Everything about him, the entire package that made up Matteo Renaldi, drove her insane. He made her want to do wicked things she’d never done before. She wanted to be his only lover, the one he could depend on through the good days and bad. She wanted all of that and more.

“Paige.” He tore his mouth from hers, his breathing heavy, his mouth still poised temptingly close. Leaning up, she touched his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, shocked at her behavior, thrilled at his reaction when he dipped his head and hungrily captured her lips once more.

He crushed her to him, his hands sliding over her, molding her backside, caressing her curves. She plunged her fingers into his thick, soft hair, clutching him close, never wanting him to leave. She wanted this moment, this kiss to go on and on and never end.

But she was being foolish. All good things must come to an end, wasn’t that the saying? And this…this kiss was too good to be true.

Breaking the kiss again, he stared at her, his mouth swollen, his eyes dark. She disentangled her hand to touch his cheek, draw her fingers down the side of his face and he closed his eyes, swallowed hard.

Released his hold on her.

She stepped back into him, but he opened his eyes and gently pushed her away. “No.”

The absolute nerve of the man. Deep within, her emotions were a tumultuous mess. Swirling, confused, they were one part anger, one part arousal, another part absolute frustration. It didn’t help, seeing Paul earlier. Memories of her recent past assailed her as well, leaving her close to falling apart. “I’m not your pet that you can command around, you know.”

“I do know.” He rubbed his hand across his mouth, as if he wanted to wipe away her kiss and that hurt far more than she cared to admit. “But you are under my employ, Paige. I can’t forget that.”

“I know. You’re right. I don’t know what to do. Everything that’s happened between us, it scares me,” she said. He was trying to do the right thing, she knew this. So was she. But it still hurt tremendously.

Slowly, he shook his head. “I shouldn’t put our professional relationship in jeopardy.”

“I think we’ve already moved beyond that.” Her entire body ached for him. Her mouth still tingled from his possessive lips, her breasts were heavy and she was damp between her legs with wanting him. Needing him.

“I seem to recall that the last time something like this happened between us, you were the one who walked away first,” he said, his deep voice tinged with an edge of anger.